Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez was thrilled to see Pedri score on his 100th appearance for the club on Saturday, January 28 against Girona but still wants more from his midfielder.
Xavi had tried to rest Pedri for the game but was forced to introduce the 20-year-old in the first half after losing Ousmane Dembele to injury. The midfielder went on to score the only goal of the match on his landmark appearance to seal all three points.
The Barcelona coach was asked about Pedri after the match and made it clear how important he is to the team but also demanded more from the Spain international, as reported by ESPN.
“He makes a difference to how we play, getting in between the lines, his final pass … and if you add his assists and goals to that, we are talking about one of the best in the world in his position,” he said, “He has to take more risks some times, but that is also the case for Gavi, Frenkie, Kessie. … I am really happy for Pedri, though, making his 100th appearance for the club. His numbers are fantastic.”
Pedri’s goal ensures Barcelona now lead the table in Spain by six points ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, January 29.
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Barcelona Celebrate Pedri Landmark
Barcelona were quick to celebrate Pedri’s landmark outing. The midfielder was presented with a jersey bearing his name and the number 100 on the back after the win. Pedri posed with the shirt alongside captain Sergio Busquets and his team-mates.
💯 @Pedri BRAVOOO!!!! 👏👏👏
Pedri also spoke about how he has been told he needs to add more goals to his game after netting the winner for Barcelona in a hard-fought match at the Estadi Montilivi, as reported by Sport.
“[The coaches] always tell me that I have to score more and now they are going in. I am really happy to be getting these chances and taking them,” he said. “I feel more comfortable with a lot of contact with the ball, but everyone likes to score goals upfront. I get further forward to try to contribute.”
Pedri has now scored in 3 of his last 4 games for Barcelona and has 6 in all competitions for the season so far. Only Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele have scored more than the midfielder for Barca this season.
Pedri More Clinical Under Xavi
Barcelona have made it clear they want more goals from Pedri and he certainly seems to be improving in front of goal. The midfielder scored five times in his first season with the club and has already overtaken that tally in the current campaign.
The stats also show that Pedri has become more clinical since Xavi took charge. The Spain international has scored with 72.7 per cent of his shots on target (8/11) since Xavi was appointed as Barca manager, according to Opta.
Pedri’s tally is the highest ratio of any player who has scored at least six goals in this period and Barcelona will be hoping he can continue to add vital goals from midfield.
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Xavi Demands More From Barcelona Star: ‘He Has To Take More Risks’